Textiles, Clothing and Fashion: Fibres, Fabrics and Selection
This domain examines fibre classification, properties, yarn and fabric construction, finishes, clothing selection, drafting and fashion change. Questions often ask you to justify a fibre or fabric choice for a stated use, so link properties to performance rather than listing trade names.
Core concepts
- Natural fibres: cellulosic (cotton, linen) and protein (wool, silk). Man-made fibres: regenerated (rayon, acetate) and synthetic (polyester, nylon, acrylic).
- Cotton absorbs moisture, conducts heat, wrinkles and burns readily. Wool has crimp and loft, low thermal conductivity, felts and shrinks. Silk is lustrous and strong but damaged by perspiration and sunlight. Polyester is hydrophobic, quick-drying, thermoplastic and oleophilic.
- Yarn: staple versus filament; twist affects strength and smoothness. Fabric construction: weaving (plain, twill, satin), knitting, non-woven. A satin is a weave, not a fibre.
- Finishes: mercerisation, calendering, water-repellent, flame-retardant, shrink-resistant. Sanforisation is a specific shrink-control process.
- Clothing selection uses design principles, colour, figure type, occasion, cost and care. Drafting produces a pattern from body measurements; draping moulds fabric on a dress form.
- Fashion cycle: introduction, rise, peak, decline, obsolescence. A fad is short-lived; a classic persists.
Worked example
Choose a winter jacket for a child in a cold, damp district. Reasoning: wool's crimp traps air and its low thermal conductivity conserves heat even when humidity is high; wool also absorbs moisture without feeling wet. However, wool is heavy, itchy and shrink-prone, so a wool–polyester blend with a quilted lining improves durability, shape retention and drying. A cotton outer layer is rejected because it absorbs water and loses insulating value when damp.
Traps
Calling silk cellulosic; confusing satin with silk; assuming natural fibres are always superior; mixing shrink-resistant with sanforised; describing a fad as a classic. In selection answers, state the use, the property and the consequence.
Exam focus
Fibre identification, property–use matching, fabric construction and reasoned clothing choices.